The Stat Line Of The Night — 2/21/11 — Matt Moulson

The New Jersey Devils are not the only bottom-feeding team using a hot streak to make one final push for the playoffs. Surprisingly, the New York Islanders have put together quite the run of their own in February, as they entered yesterday afternoon’s game against the Florida Panthers having won seven of their ten games this month. Make that eight of eleven, thanks to a big performance from Matt Moulson.

The Islanders’ winger recorded his second career hat-trick, scoring two goals in the first period and an empty netter in the third to lead his team to the 5-1 victory. Panthers’ goaltender Tomas Vokoun had no answer for Moulson’s wrist shot, and that would prove to be the difference as the Isles took the early lead and never looked back.

Moulson now has an impressive 26 goals on the season and his Islanders have managed to creep back into the playoff hunt. They still find themselves 11 points back of the eighth-place Carolina Hurricanes, but with several playoff-bound teams currently marred in a slump, you never know how the final 22 games of the season will pan out. For now, Moulson earns the “Stat Line of the Night” for Monday, February 21, 2011.